Dirigible airship



sept. 18,1928. Lsfmso R. P. FOX

DIRIGIBLE ARSHIP Filed Aug. 50, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l u n n n n n n n n n n n n D n n u n n n u 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 18, 1928.

R. P. FOX

DIRIGIBLE AIRSHIP Filed Aug. 30, 1926 I INVEN [OR V AW ATTORNEY me QQ:

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INVEN IGR l BY W ATTORNEY patented Septe 18, 1923G untreu stares RALPH 1.l FOX, .0F HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

DIBIG-IBLE AIRSEIP.

' Application led August 30, i926. Serial Ito. 132,650.

The object oi' this invention is to provide speci al means for mounting the engines and propellers of an airship of the general type opposite'end portions thereof, for driving' propellers mounted as speciiied below.

A further object is to provide driving means for this type of air craft, comprising a series of forward propellers on each side oi the vessel, these propellers having their axes of rotation inv alinement, or a portion of them being so positioned. and a series ot pron pellers mounted on the laterally projecting ends et the transverse girders, near the stern of the vessel,` and on each side thereof.

A; further object is to provide a housing tor each ot the engines, the housings being constructed as indicated below.

lilith this `foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement ot elements described, illustrated and claimed, it being un` derstood that modiications may be made within the scope of the claims without de parting from the spirit ot the invention.

ln the drawings forming part ot this application,

Figure l is a view of the machine in side elevation..

vFigure 2 is a horizontal section, longitudinally of the structure, and on line Q--Q of Figure '1.

Y Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section thru the lower portion of the structure.

Figure a is a plan view showing one ot the transverse girdrs, and showing extension members on opposite ends ot the girder, upon which a plate tor mounting the engine or engines7 is to be secured.

Figure 5 is a view vertically and transversely of one ot' the girders, such as that shown in Figures 3 and fi, with the hood or housingn 'for one ot the engines in elevation, the propeller also being illustrated.

Figure G is a top plan view ot the structurev ot Figure 5.

Figure'iv is a, vertical section on line 7 7 ot Figure 5.

Figure l8 is a vertical section on line 8 8 the present case.

et Figure 7, the enginelin both Figures 7 and 8 being in elevation.

Figure 9 is' a detail in section, showing the mounting of one of therudders in a bracket carried by an end ,frame-inclosing element. f

The main portion of the machine includes a. plurality 'of sections, designated 10, and comprising individual frames of circular form, the gas cells being mounted between the elements ot the trames. These Cells are not illustrated iii-this case, but are fully shown in the applicationy above referred to, and ythey are to be mounted in a metallic sheathing within the rigid structure.

Vlhe `main structure of the machine includes the nose portion 11,y and' the stern structure 12, the rudders and controls there :tor being illustrated somewhat conventionally in Figure l ot the present case, and the mounting of the vertical rudder being shown in detail in Figure 9. Pontoons 13' and 14 form a part ot the lower or gondola construction, and the series ot windowsl is shown at l5, 1n Figure l.

ln Figure 3 a, portion ot one of the circular frames, or sections 10, is illustrated, and vertically extending braces or posts, designated 18, are mounted between the longitudinal girders 19 and said elements l0 of Figure 3, and are secured in any suitable manner.

ln Figure 2 l have illustrated a number ot transverse girders of the built-up type, these girders being designated 20, and being shown partly in side elevation and top plan respectively, in Figures 3 and Ll. rllhese girders 2O are proportioned to entend laterali beyond the sides or walls 21, and are of suticiently substantial construction to permit of the mounting of an engine on each end of the individual girders 20.

The engines are shown conventionally and are designated 2i, and it will be observed that live engines or motors are mounted on each side of the forward portion'of the craft, and similar provision is made at the rear, the series of motors last nam-ed being mountu ed however forwardly of the stern structure l2, as the construction is disclosed in lt is obvious that the exact position of the engines or motors is not material, so far as-the character ot the mounting is concerned, but a laterally projecling girder or truss is provided for each pair oi" motors, one unit ot each pair being @tit rear portion of the machine.

Figure '4 shows that each transverse girder lor truss 20 includes or has mounted thereon in any suitable manner a plurality of extensions, such as 26, theupper portions of the extensions being in the same plane as the upper portion ot' the girder on which they are mounted. A heavy plate 28 is secured to the end portions of each girder 20, andto'l the extensions 26 carried thereby, to form a platform or thelike on which the motor or motors may be mounted.

Each motor 24 includes a main shaft 24', and the motors are supported by means of leg braces 30 of the form illustrated in Figure 7, these elements 30 being bolted to angle bars 8l mounted on plate 28. The angle bars 3l have their vertical flanges extending upwardly and their horizontal flanges extending inwardly, so that a firm support for the elements 30 and the motors per se is provided. l

A passage way is provided on that portion of each trussor girder 20 between the side of the vessel and the housing for the engines or` motors. vThis passage' Way is protected by a railing or railings 36, and access is obtained to the motors 24 thru openings adapted to be closed by-doors 38.'

The housings or hoods orthe motors each include a plurality of cover members su'ch as 40 and 41 hinged or pivoted vat 42 and carrying handles such as 43. A door 44 provides access from passage Way 35 to the housing of the motor, and openings in the walls of the housing are partlycovered by shield members 45 of a well known type, employed in this class of apparatus.

'It will be observed from Figure 5 that the transverse girders or trusses 20 are built up of angle bars such as 21, braced as required, and that the lateral extensions from these girders 20 are built on to the sides, being bolted thereto, in order to provide a structure forming a flat base for mounting the engine.

.mounted on said projecting ends of the girders, lateral extensions'carried by the ends of each of the girders, motor supporting means carried by the ends of the girders and by the lateral extensions, and propellers driven by the motors.

2. In a device ot' the class described, a main hull, a keel and gondola structure connected with the hull and including longitudinal girders, transverse girders extending across the longitudinal girders and supported thereby, motors carried by the ends of the transverse girders, and propellers driven by the motors and mounted outwardly from the sides of the keel and gondola structure, housings for the individual motors, and means affording access to the interior of the housings, across the ends of the girders and from the keel and gondola structure.

3. In a device of the class described, a main hull structure, a keel and gondola structure including longitudinal girders and vertical supportng devices connected with the main structure, a series of spaced girders extending thru the keel and gondola structure and carried transversely of the longitudinal girders, the transverse girders projecting laterally beyond the sides of the' keel and gondola structure, extensions carried by the projecting ends of the girders, plate members extending' across said projecting ends and across the extensions, motors carried by the plate members7 means for retaining the motors, said motors being positioned to have their, shafts in alinement on each side of the main structure, propellers carried,I by the shafts, and housings for said motors, these housings each including a plurality of hingedly mounted elements for closing openings providing access to the housings and to the motors therein.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

RALPH P. FOX. 

